Things to do in Amsterdam

Although Amsterdam has a fine choice of museums – Van Gogh, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt House – those are not the things you’ll remember most from your visit. Making more of an impression will be the informal and liberal attitude of the city-dwellers. Although more a tourist hole, it is still a popular bar area for locals, the Red Light District is a surprise for anyone new to the city – for what lies behind the glass windows and for the huge concentration of coffee shops offering a selection of hash and weed.

Beer drinkers are well catered for in Amsterdam, with the Heineken Experience – an interactive experience that tells the story of Heineken and how it’s brewed. It ends with a few beers. A rather quirky attraction is the Sex Museum – not for the prudish! Conspicuously housed in the very centre of the city, the museum has a large selection of photographs and artefacts (use your imagination here) that will keep you entertained for a short time.

In the 17^th century Amsterdam was the trade centre of Europe. The main canals in Amsterdam thank their existence to the extraordinary growth of the city in this Golden Age. These canals were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010. For a taste of 17^th-century life in Amsterdam, visit the beautiful Portugese Synagogue. The building still has no electricity and when opened at night it is lit up by candle-laden chandeliers. Another fascinating find is the Museum Ons Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic). Behind its simple exterior is a house with a hidden church, built during the Reformation, which has kept its original 17^th-century interior.